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Sunday, December 1, 2013

A new spin on an old tradition: Our family's revolving Christmas tree stands

Though I risk making my readers dizzy, I just had to share a photo that illustrates one of my favorite features of our family's traditional Christmas tree: the revolving tree stand.

I can't remember a Christmas when the living room (of my childhood and now of my own children's) was not graced with a marvelously revolving Christmas tree! The tradition started in the home of my grandmother, continued with my parents, and now has become an important part of my children's lives within our immediate family's holiday celebrations.

Though this picture makes it look like the tree is spinning very fast, our revolving tree stand actually goes at a snail's pace. It would really make our heads spin(and break some ornaments!) if the tree whizzed around as it looks like it does in this photo.

As a child, I loved to turn the switch on and off to start and stop the spinning of the tree. Even more, however, I loved lying under, sitting under, or standing near the Christmas tree and watching all the beautiful lights and ornaments go around above my head. What fun to see a special ornament come around the corner within view once again!

Me admiring the Christmas tree.

In recent years I've added a couple of smaller trees with themed ornaments to our family's Christmas decor. I've had lots of trouble trying to decide which ornaments to put in back since these little trees don't have revolving stands and wouldn't be "making the rounds" as I'm so used to having ornaments do on my large tree.

If you've never tried one, I encourage you and your family to give a revolving tree stand a spin this holiday season! Happy tree trimming!

2 comments:

I remember the days when colored aluminum Christmas trees were all the rage - a lot of people had them on the revolving stands, and shone colored lights onto the tree (I think it was dangerous to put strings of lights ON the tree).

My question is - how do you keep the electric cords from the tree's lights from getting all twisted up?

Thanks for your comment and question, Amanda. Our tree stand has a plug within its base just for lights, so they go around as the tree revolves. No need for other fancy accessories! It is easy to string the lights, too. I just stand on a chair in one place and start the tree spinning.